I had a 10am meeting the other day and I woke up craving something sweet, but knew we didn’t have anything good already made (actually, this is a constant problem and, honestly, it’s the only reason I bake). So I sat for a minute on our living room couch, thinking about what I could make that might satisfy my sweet tooth but also be fast enough to whip up and enjoy before I had to leave.

Cookies? Muffins? Cake? How about chocolate? We also had those oranges sitting on the counter…

That’s when the idea for these treats came into view: as I was brainstorming what kind of orangey-chocolate confection I could quickly create, I was suddenly hit with molten chocolate cakes.

They are quick, easy, and the best part is you don’t have to wait for them to cool down — you’re supposed to eat ‘em while they’re hot!

To complement the light orange fragrance of the cakes, I topped these with an almond whipped cream, creating a simultaneously light and rich experience. The cakes are soft on the outside and melted on the inside, and the cream on top of the cake fuses with the chocolatey center.

Let me just say this was definitely one of the best breakfast decisions I’ve made in a loooonnggg time!

1. Make the Cakes: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a muffin tin with butter and cocoa powder.

2. In a medium bowl, whip the butter, then add in the syrup and eggs. Mix for about a minute, or until mixture becomes frothy. Mix in the flour and salt.

3. Melt the chocolate in a small glass bowl. To melt in the microwave, heat in 15-second intervals, mixing after each interval. Add a third of the chocolate into the mix, along with the orange zest. Fold this into the batter. Now fold in the rest of the chocolate mixture.

4. Pour the batter into the muffin tins and bake for about 8 minutes, or just until the cakes rise. Loosen the cakes with a knife, then flip them onto a tray.

5. Make the Whipped Cream: Whip the cream, sugar, and almond extract in a bowl until soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-mix. Top each molten cake with a scoop of whipped cream.

Notes

Cakes are best enjoyed fresh, but you can easily zap one in the microwave for about 10 seconds if it gets cold. However, if you’re re-heating the cakes, there might not be as much of a molten center as a fresh cake.